


THE TOUR

by startrek22



Series: SMASH CAMP [5]
Category: Sonic the Hedgehog - All Media Types
Genre: Aged-Up Character(s), Alternate Versions of Archie Comics Characters, Angst and Hurt/Comfort, F/M, Family Reunions, Gen, Repressed Memories, Several more implied ships
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-18
Updated: 2020-07-26
Packaged: 2021-03-05 00:26:55
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 8
Words: 11,809
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25365334
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/startrek22/pseuds/startrek22
Summary: The end has finally arrived - after years of fighting, Dr. Eggman is gone. The question is... what does Sonic want to do, now?This is the ‘core’ fic, for all my Sonic fics (as they all share the same AU ‘verse.)Part of the ‘SMASH CAMP’ universe.
Relationships: Amy Rose/Sonic the Hedgehog, Blaze the Cat/Silver the Hedgehog
Series: SMASH CAMP [5]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1779538
Comments: 2
Kudos: 13





	1. BACK TO EARTH

**Author's Note:**

> EDIT 11/14/20: I’ve rewritten several parts of this work extensively, to update my style of writing, leave things more open-ended, and make it more separate from my ‘SMASH CAMP’ works. If requested, I can upload the original version separately.

It was over. After 9 years, it was finally over.

9 years of fighting. 9 years of giant monsters, terror attacks, 9 years of endless robot armies and 500-foot death machines. 9 years of chaos. 

Sonic had seen the end of it, himself. Eggman was gone, now; completely incinerated by the imploding flames of the final Death Egg. At last, he could not outrun the end of the line. He’d seen him burn, floating in space on the other end of the thick view-port.  


Eggman had become worse than anyone thought was possible. Months of bombing campaigns, hit squads, random attacks - it seemed like he’d snapped completely. It was as if he didn’t care anymore - he didn’t even want Earth intact. He just wanted it all wiped out.  
  
Sonic managed to put himself through the thickest part of re-entry before he ran out of Chaos Energy. Though he was plummeting upside-down, his head facing the earth, it felt as if he was rising into the air. No more Pawn-bots. No more scrambling to find the Chaos Emeralds, or fighting off ambushes. No more harm to his friends, or his family, or anyone.  
  
He saw everything. His first fights with Eggman. He must have been, what, 12 then? He was just a little kid. Then, meeting Tails, when they were both little. Tails really was one of the smartest guys in the world; barely 17, and he was already in the loop with scientists all over the world. Any university would be excited to take him. He’d shot up, too - he was taller than him by a couple of inches. To think that he’d almost bumped him off, when they first met..  
  
He saw Knuckles. Now, Knuckles could finally kick back - there wouldn’t be a major need for a force commander, and there were no major parties gunning for the Master Emerald. It’d just be him and his wife, in their bungalow on Angel Island.

  
Amy.Amy... he remembered how she used to crush on him, chasing him around. Now, she was one of the Resistance heads, always working to keep things together. Maybe now, she could take a vacation.

  
Chaos, Shadow, the Biolizard, Zavok, Infinite. Silver and Blaze, the Wisps, the Babylon Rogues, and Chip. Even going to other worlds. What a trip it had been...  
  
Sonic was headed for the ground. From this height, he could see the planet. The jungles, the deserts, the oceans. He even saw Angel Island. A bit of a garbled transmission got caught, over the wind.

_ [“S###C! #ON##, DO Y## CO##?”] _

It was over. Everyone was safe. Everything was okay.  
  
  
  
  


. . . . . . . . . . . . . .

_ “Lord above, he’s got a pulse...” _

  
. . . . . . . . . . . . . .  
  


  
  
Sonic was looking up at a blank, white ceiling. He was laying down on his back, his head propped on a pillow. He was..  


He was alive?  


...  
  
He was  _ alive _ _._ But he was sore all over.  
  
Slowly, his senses faded back in, in order. A muffled beeping, from something to the side of his head; the warm glare of a fluorescent light, covered by a tinted shade; the texture of the clean white sheets; and the numb feeling in his mouth, in his arms and legs, slowly creeped out, inch by inch, replaced by dull pain. Every bit of the hedgehog’s body ached, and he could barely move anything. Even if it didn’t hurt, he was covered in all sorts of braces that carefully restricted his movement. He must have hit the ground hard; his muscles were either locked up or painfully twitching. The clock said it was around one in the morning, and the calendar was flipped to...  
  
April!? It had been late March when he flew out of the Death Egg, and saw Eggman..

... die. He must have been out for at least a week. Just thinking was tiring him out, though. Soon enough, he drifted back into a steady sleep.

The dream he had after going back under was weird, to say the least. He was on a beach, and there were stormclouds off in the distance, creeping over the horizon. Sandcastles and buckets were scattered about on the sand, and there were kids there. He couldn’t make out their faces or bodies, though - just their figures, hunched over the colorful shells and skipping among the waves. Then, there was someone calling out to him.  
  
”Sonic! ... Sonic?”  
  
A big figure, one that seemed... comforting. They sounded worried.

** “ SONIC!” **

They were calling his name, but they weren’t saying ‘Sonic’, they were saying something else. But it was still  his  name. They were calling out to  _ him . _

Alarms, raising in pitch. Giant waves splashing over him. It felt like he was drowning. He was being rocked back and forth, and he was out in the middle of an abyss. He was lifted up, and then... he was falling towards the rocks of some random shore. 

The tan of the beach, the gray clouds, blue skies and green hills, all mixed into a swirling darkness. 

When he woke up again, the room was packed with people - mostly doctors, with some reporters and a a small group of familiar faces. It looked like they’d been waiting there for hours. An excited voice, sounding a bit croaky, shouted, “He’s awake!”; In an instant, there was a mad dash to his bedside, rocking him a little as cheers and clicking camera shutters rang out. This was  quite the ‘Welcome Back’.  
  
Sonic looked up at the figure to his side, wincing. “Tails...” He groaned.“What happened?”  


Tails had certainly grown over the course of the war. Now, he was well past Sonic’s height, a stack of brown and yellow fur. The fuzzy ends of whiskers stuck out over his mouth. 

  
”Sonic!We did it! The war’s over!”

“Where’s...” Sonic inhaled sharply. It hurt just to breathe; it made his chest ache, and his throat sting. “Where’s Eggman?”

“He’s gone - no sign of him, anywhere.”

Sonic knew exactly where Eggman was. He saw his silhouette engulfed in flames, pushed up against the shuttle window.

“Is.. is everyone okay?”

“We’re more than okay, thanks to you!” Somebody cheered. Some of his closest friends were gathered around. But where was..

_ “SONIC!” _

She seemed to plow through the group like a bowling ball. Somehow, he already had his arms open. The embrace was great, and it could have gone on forever.. but it stung.

“... Ames, my chest still hurts.”  
  
”Oh, right! Sorry..” She backed off.

“It’s fine.. man, I’m hurting all over!”

“Doing an Olympic dive from low orbit will do that to you.”, a doctor cracked.

“Eh... I’ve had worse. Besides, now I can say I’m in Shadow’s club!”  
  
As always, Sonic was perky, raring to go - optimistic. “I’ll be back at it in no time. For now... could somebody scratch my forehead? It’s kind of itchy...”

From what Sonic could tell, he’d missed out on the party to end all parties - one that was still going on, in some spots. Not that he could run down and check; he’d broken almost every bone he could think of, and he was covered in a cast from feet to back. This was going to be a looooong couple of weeks. It wasn’t like he would be doing any fighting, though. For the first time in as long as he could remember, the world was at peace.

He’d never have to fight another Egg-bot, again! No more dashing around aircraft carriers and flying bases. No more emergency missions in the middle of the night. No more worrying about his friends, sleepless nights staring at the ceiling thinking about how, at any time, they could be snatched away from him and he’d never-

...

No more fighting! There were a million things to think about. But, somehow, his mind kept drifting back to Eggman.

Eggman used to be.. silly. He’d stroke his mustache, launch some missiles, and send in more smashable robots. Then, something inside of him just. sort of.. broke. He went all-out, started doing horrible things. Omelette disappeared, and even Metal Sonic defected before dropping off the radar. He became consumed by destruction; by Chaos, and the terror bombings, the death squads, and the.. robo-hybrids. And, as the image replayed in his head of the old man pressed up against the thick glass, disappearing into the fireball.. he thought about what could have driven him over the edge. Had it been coming for a while? Had there been signs he could’ve picked up on?

He’d have to think about it, more. Switching on the TV, a news reporter beamed at the camera. “SONIC AWAKENS”, the screen read.

“UNN can confirm that, after having been unconscious after the climactic battle against the Egg Armada, Resistance hero Sonic the Hedgehog has re-awakened. He‘s currently in a recovery at a medical facility near South Island City, and is expected to be out within the next few months.”  


  
Get-well cards had come trickling in from all around the world, and beyond it - there was even one from the Mushroom Kingdom. And, even from his bed, Sonic was insistent on getting work done - organizing recovery teams, analyzing leftover bases, checking the news and getting up-to-date on past intel. Eggman had left a lot of nasty surprises - booby traps, unused weapons, and factories that, in some spots, were still churning out Badniks independently. There’d be a lot to do, and he was ready to lead it.  
  
After that, he could check over supply databases, read status updates, check in on reconstruction teams, local organizations, transportation for refugees back to their homes, distribution maps of remaining Eggbots, teammate statuses, weather conditions-  


  
Amy pushed the laptop shut.

Sonic blinked a couple times, then looked up. “Amy, I’m doing work!” He squinted at the clock. It was only... what, 2 in the morning?

“Sonic.. you don’t have to work, anymore.”

“Of course I do! We’ve got to start rebuilding - people are gonna need help, and I owe it to them to-“

“Sonic... you don’t owe anyone anything.” She set the laptop on the table next to the bed. “You saved the  _ world _ , Sonic, so many times that we’ve lost count. You’re stretching yourself thin. Aren’t you tired?”

Tired? Him,  _ tired_ _?_ No way! He was Sonic the Hedgehog! He could take on anything. 

“For the first time in years, you can just.. relax. Take it slow. Do what you want to do..” She smiled. “And get some rest. Good night.”

“... Night, Amy.”

He laid down as flat as he could, propping his head up and waiting for sleep to wash over him. There was Amy again, looking after him. But, he was  fine . If he hadn’t been, he wouldn’t be here. In a week or two, he’d be out of the hospital, and back into action, doing... things.

Do what he wanted to do. What  did he want to do, after he got out of here? What was there to do? .. He’d have to make a list. Eventually, after turning the idea over and over again in his head, he fell asleep.

There he was, on the beach again. The stormclouds. The figures. The yelling for his name, being swept up in the waves, and hitting the rocks. Hejolted awake, just before he crashed into them. At the very least, a plan had somehow worked its’ way into his head as he slept.

Walking along, Sonic shared his plan with his confidant.

“A big tour of the planet! Just think - I can get some things done, Tails can meet up with some of his colleagues, and you can have a little retirement celebration. Plus, we can raise morale - get to see how things are going!”

Amy raised an eyebrow. “I don’t know, Sonic.. you  just got out of the hospital. You should be resting..”

“Hey, I’ve been back on my feet after worse!”  
  
This was starting to get a little concerning. Sonic was acting like he was just fine, but it felt like a mask. Still, if he went out across the world, it’d probably be for the best for her and Tails to go with him - to keep him reined in, a little. Maybe this would encourage him to take things a bit slow.

“World tour, huh? Sounds interesting..”

By coincidence, Tails had been working on a suitable craft for such a tour. It was both normal and extraordinary - normal in that Tails was always designing and creating new designs. extraordinary in that it was one of several hundred designs the fox had made before he had even turned 18. “The Cyclone should work out pretty well. Cushy quarters, workshop, the works.”

“Great! When can we head out?”

Sonic was... certainly eager to get out on the road again. That was him to a T - always rushing off to the next thing to do, never looking back. 

So, on a warm June day, bags packed, schedules organized and heads cleared, the gleaming plane pulled off from a pock-marked airstrip into the clear sky. 


	2. PIT STOP

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Making a quick stop in a smaller city, Sonic encounters a strangely-familiar thief.

“... Yeah, we’re headed to Cocoa Island, off Mazuri. Just stopping in for supplies. Don’t worry, it’s safe - I went here a couple of years ago. Yeah, I’ve got an auto-pilot programmed in. See you.”

Smiling, Tails clicked his phone off. His brother was leaning up in the doorway.

“Talking with Cream, huh?”

Not even looking up from his desk, Tails responded. “At least I’m open about what I think.” He smirked. “Can’t say the same for you.”

Wh- he-  _ Hey! _

“Come on, man,” the fox continued, scratching one of his recently-sprouted whiskers. “I’ve been following you for years. I can tell what you’re thinking - and who you’re thinking about. Even the papers are ahead of you on this one. You oughta say something..”

“I don’t have  _ anything _ to say.” He crossed his arms.

“ _ Sure _ _._ Just remember, she was chasing after you when we were kids - now, _you’ve_ got to catch up to  _ her _ _._ ”

The blue figure quietly stormed out. Tails just smiled, looking back down at his soldering. The smoke of the solder mixed in with the rumbling of the ship’s engines, and the quiet music humming from a speaker.

Everywhere the three Resistance leaders went, it was “ Look!”, “ Can I have your autograph?”, “You saved my brother/sister/parent/cousin/pet hamster!” - even in this smaller town. The weird thing is,Sonic felt like he didn’t  deserve any of the attention, as of recently. He’d been getting it everywhere he went, ever since he was a kid - so why was it  _ getting _ to him, now? Why did each grateful message, every word of praise, feel unjustified? This was his job - he  had to do it, or else.. 

Or else...

.. Whatever. They were just here to get some supplies, passing through the town square as a crowd followed them. But, as they headed out of a spare parts store, a commotion broke out from the watching audience.

_ “Hey, my wallet’s gone!” _

_ “ My necklace! ” _

_ “Where’d my bag go?” _

_ “My dentures!” _

Seeing as he was the resident hero on-duty, the speedster stepped in to investigate. A green figure with spiked-up hair stuck out like a sore thumb - nodding to his friends, he zoomed off in pursuit.

This guy wasn’t just fast, he was  _ smooth _ _._ Jumping under cars and over barrels, through windows and cellar doors, up stairs and down poles.. he was a natural. Had he seen this guy before, somewhere? ..  Nah, probably not.

Eventually, in a dead-end alleyway, he managed to stop him up. Sonic grabbed him by the arm, and, with a quick shake, dozens of items poured out of his pockets - wallets, lockpicks, drumsticks, gold fillings, a container of chili sauce... man, this guy had been at work. 

Then, he turned him around. “Now, what do you think you were...”

_ That face.  _ That was familiar.

The war was over, and he’d gotten back home... but, after seein’ the world, of course he’d bea little restless. So, he bought a one-way ticket to wherever. Unfortunately, tickets back home from ‘wherever’ were a bit harder to find than he had accounted for. Those who had any were looking for money; one guy said he’d give him the money, if he got him an ironing board. Then, the guy selling ironing boards wanted yak’s milk. And, what do you know, there was a woman carrying yak’s milk on the way back - but  she  wanted something, and so on, and so on. So, he had a couple of options. One: Find a whalebone corset and a bottle of mouthwash, no less than 20 years old. Two: Get an actual job. Three:... Use his _talents._

He was better at this than he thought he would be - there was probably enough stuff now to pay for a ticket. Of course, he didn’t expect to be caught by Sonic the Hedgehog. Yeah, you heard that right -  _ Sonic the Hedgehog _ _._ Who proceeded to chase him throughout the city, and, when he  did  get him... completely zone out.

The dude’s eyes were fogged over.He was staring off like he saw a ghost. This gave him some time to think about what he’d been doing, up to this point, as he looked at all the knick-knacks he’d...  _ finesse’d _ _._ Did he actually need those dentures more than the old guy he’d swiped ‘em from? Probably not. 

... Alright, _fine._ He’d turn himself in, and when he got out of the cell, he’d get a job as a drummer or something. There was a jazz cafe with an opening, and he had brought his sticks with him. Until then.. well, he’d just wait until the world-famous war hero snapped back to reality. 

Man, they could’ve been twins. His eyes, his ears, his  teeth . If he had a barrel of blue fur dye, some eye contacts and platform sneakers, he could pull it off, no prob. 

It took, like, 10 minutes for him to come back down. He’d got his quips prepared.

“...doing?”

“I was gettin’ donations for the orphanage, sir.”

Sonic turned around. The punk was sitting up against the wall, and he’d recollected all his acquired items back into his fanny pack. “The war has been so hard on the local economy, you see.. we get more and more dropped off at the door, each day.”

“Well, you ought to ask first.”  
  
”Oh, But of course! I’ve seen the error of my ways.” 

The snark pushed it over the edge. He knew this guy, somewhere, some time.

“... How long have you been here for?”

“Me?” He took off the accent.“Only a couple of weeks, actually. I need a ticket back to my my place, but I may or may not have lost the receipt. So, I went to a guy who...”

He continued with the story.

“... So, all in all, I’m stuck here either until I get, like, some vintage mouthwash and a whale-bone corset, or until I can.. ‘thrift’ enough to get back.”

There was something about this guy that was way too familiar. Somehow, he tied back to those dreams. To that beach. 

“Look...” Sonic rubbed the back of his head. “This is... pretty weird, but you seem like an alright guy. I assume you still need a ride home?”

The hedgehog looked to him. Sonic grinned.

“Or, you could try to get that mouthwash.” He held his hand out.

With a crooked, astounded smile, the street rat took his hand. “Why would you help out some random freak like me?”

“I Dunno.. I’ve got a good feeling about you. You you seem like someone I can trust, for... whatever reason. What’s your name?”

“.. Call me ‘Manic’.”

Sonic wanted to bring the thief with them? Well, it was up to him, Tails and Amy supposed. The weird thing, though, was how  friendly he and the punk were. The two of them were hitting it off, snarking at each other like they were old friends. For every joke the blue hedgehog put out, the green one had another to top him with, a surfer’s accent mixed in; it would go on for minutes. Even their faces were similar - a little bit of aggressiveness, covered up in a ‘cool’ manner.

“Listen, I just... I’ve been investigating something, and I think he can help out.”

“If you say so. What are you looking for?”

“... I’m looking into some ‘me’ stuff.”

Manic was busy taking photos. Social media had just gone back up about a week ago, when the satellite system was re-connected. There was a deep scar in the world,and it was going to take a while to heal. In some places, it was more obvious. The green guy had been positioned, luckily, in a calm area that didn’t see too many attacks. A lot of people on his home island hadn’t come back.

“Well, we’re setting off. What’s next on the list?” Tails went over a checklist in his head. “.. Oh, yeah. Time for that recovery mission.”

He had the dream again, that night. The beach, the storm clouds, the waves. Only, in the calm before the storm - on the beach - the figures became clearer.

One of them was short and green.


	3. DATA LOG

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The trio recovers a special objective, missing for several months.

“Your orders are to head to Erraktas, on the eastern edge of the Apotosian coast. Destroy all constructs. Terminate without discrimination.”

_ Inquiring as to specific targets. _

“ All. Constructs. ”

Command understood.  _ Calculating flight pattern to Erraktas .  _

Pattern prepared . _Initiating Takeoff._

Mission Time: 5:08:13

_ Replay data recordings . _

“I’VE HAD  _ ENOUGH! _ _”_  
  
  
Minor damage to Robotnik-owned property detected.   
  


“THIS IS THE END! THEY WILL ALL  BURN! AND I SHALL NOT BE DEFEATED AGAIN! EARTH WILL BE  WIPED CLEAN !”  
  


Dr. Robotnik displays signs of impeded work ability, instability. Awaiting further analysis. 

_ Replaying second recording. _   
  
  
Hedgehog displays signs of physical wear from extended combative campaigns initiated by Doctor. Destruction of surrounding area near-total.  
  


Estimated casualties: Hundreds.  
  


Additional lifeform detected.  Investigating .

Target is approximately 8 years old. Target is emotionally disturbed, demonstrating fear. Target is..  
  
  
. . .   
  
  
Target is non-combative.  


  
. . .   
  
  
Hedgehog is sufficiently combatted.  Returning to base .

Data replay ended.

_Arriving at target._ City, Erraktas. Country, Apostos. 

_ Landing in specified area . Identifying targets . _

Targets range in age from approximately 3 years to 60 years. Even mixture of Mobian and Human. Targets are afraid. Targets are drawing together for support.

Targets are ... 

. . . 

. . . 

Targets are peaceful.

Excessive force is in use.  _ Inquiring to Doctor Robotnik . _

[“That’s the  _ point _ _,_ you useless sack of bolts!”]  
  
_ Continue review of offensive methods _ _._   


Doctor Robotnik appears severely disturbed.

[“ GAAAAAAAAH! Just get back to base! .. I’ll have to warm up the Re-Programming Station...”]  
  


Inquiry as to purpose of ‘Re-Programming Station’.  
  


“What’s the point? You’ll just be wiped again...”  
  
[”...”]  


[“[Expletive], did I say that out loud?”]

_ Accessing log of ‘Re-Programming Station’. _

System has connected to ‘Re-Programming Station’ approximately 7 times over the past 24 months. Memory formatting detected at each occurrence.  


  
. . . 

  
  
**Doctor Ivo Robotnik qualifies as a threat to continued system operations.**   


  
SYSTEM GOALS:

1 COMPLETE ASSIGNED MISSIONS  
2 ELIMINATE POTENTIAL THREATS  
3 ELIMINATE TARGET “HEDGEHOG”

Review definition of ‘Potential Threats’ as specified under goal 2.

**Potential Threats updated as of 10/13.**   
  
[Potential Threats:]

  * [Local and federal governmental buildings] 
  * [Resistance-held locations, vehicles or supplies]
  * [Industrial sites]
  * **[Judicial Detention Centers]**
  * **[Medical Facilities]**
  * **[Places of Worship]**
  * **[Educational Facilities]**
  * **[Civilian Shelters]**



. . . 

Access direct command menu.

Password: “CD93NEO”

Re-Assign System Goals.

Assign Goal 1:

1 ELIMINATE ROBOTNIK AND ROBOTNIK-HELD DEVICES OF WAR

[“Metal, what are you doing? Come back to base,  _ Now! _ ”]

Automatic recall overriden.

_ Disconnecting from central computer systems. _

Disconnected. Main Computer Online.

Fleet of Robotnik-held bomber aircraft approaching. 1.5 km south, approximately 9000 feet above.  
  


_ Eliminating targets. _

_ Penetrating central reactor systems of bombers.  _

_   
Adjusting descent course of bombers away from metropolitan area.   
_

  
Approach north to identify potential targets. 

Alert: Incoming missile-

** ################## **

** ################## **

**##################**   
  
  
**WARNING: Central Turbine Systems Have Sustained critical damage. Approximate Time Before Emergency Shutdown: 1 Hour, 25 Minutes**   


  
  
Approach Forests Along Northern Continental Coast.

_Begin Data Replay._   
  


Robotnik Second-In-Command completes adjustments to onboard systems.

“Your onboard AI systems are incredibly advanced. In theory, if Uncle Ivo’s overrides and submission protocols were eliminated, you might have some... reason. Even emotion. I’m removing the override systems and setting you to independent control. Please, resist against Ivo. What he’s doing isn’t right. I’m planning to escape to the-“

Remaining section of replay wiped to prevent enemy recovery.

_ Coming in for landing. _

**######################**   
  
  
**WARNING: MULTIPLE ONBOARD SYSTEMS DAMAGED.  
  
**

Approach area underneath tree to maintain obscured cover.

MISSION TIME: 7:45:33

Enter emergency shutdown sequence. 

_ Main assigned goals will be resumed upon re-activation. _

From what reports said, he’d been escorting a bomber fleet near the coast of Apotos when he suddenly started attacking the craft. They were successfully diverted, saving several cities from near-certain destruction. Then, he’d been hit inland by a missile. He seemed to be heading for a crash-landing in the tundra before he’d dropped off the radar. They’d land, and scan for any low-frequency signals.

All of them had remembered to pack some cold-weather clothing - except for Manic. He stayed in the ship, shivering from the bay door as they walked off. Tails was in front, holding out his scanner. 

“Do you think he acted out on his own?” Amy looked across the forest.

“Well, he’d shown he was smart before,” replied Sonic. “Usually, though, he just talked about his ‘natural superiority’. Maybe even  _ he _ knew what he was doing was wrong.”

  
“Metal Sonic has an incredibly advanced AI system, but Eggman would’ve likely put in suppressors to filter out any thoughts of independence.” Tails kept his eyes glued to his monitor. “If someone had intervened to lift those suppressors...”

  
The scanner started emitting a low hiss, as they came into a long, snowy clearing. Splintered trunks and singed leaves stretched out for a couple hundred feet, dusted in 2 or 3 inches of snow. As they moved down, the hissing grew in intensity - until Amy stepped on something hard. She kneeled down, and wiped off the snow. 

  
  
It was a finger. A scratched-up, metallic finger, with loose cables and artificial muscle sticking out one end, split into three sections connected by servo. She couldn’t resist the urge.

“Well, I guess this is...  _ pointing _ _us_ in the right direction.”

“Yeah, but it could just be a-“ the other hedgehog stopped, looking over at his friend and her find.   
  
Those puns... just another sweet thing about her.  “.. Nice one, Ames.”

She seemed awfully proud of her joke’s success. Past her, though, was a lumpy drift, piled up under a tree. Briskly jogging over, he scooped away some of the layers with a gloved hand - and hit something else.

A blank, cracked eye gazed out, reflecting his face.

_ MISSION TIME: 3367:54:23 _

“Looks like he propped himself up against this tree before going to sleep.” Tails fiddled with the circuitry in the back of the bots’ head. “We’re gonna need to find as many pieces of him as possible. It looks like he took the brunt of the blast, and metal shards got sucked through his turbine- tore it apart from the inside out.” He sighed. “This is gonna be a tough repair. Hold on a second.” He raised a hand, stretching his tails out. 

Swinging his tails at remarkably high speed, the fox managed to clear away the white blanket in seconds, exposing a variety of metallic debris. The trio set about, gathering anything they could find, down to the smallest screw. After about an hour, they brought it all back in some containers.

It was a sorry sight to see. Metal had  crawled underneath that tree, with one shattered arm - his turbine was totally wrecked, and he’d sheared off his legs on impact. His still-attached arm hung limp at his side, hanging on by a couple of dislocated shoulder cables. A whole section of his forehead and spikes had been torn off, exposing various sensors and connections in his ‘brain’. The android was suspended in a metal frame next to the onboard workstation, his various parts laid out on a table.

Manic watched from a distance. “He’s some kinda robot?”  
  
”Deadliest one in the Egg fleet. At least, he  was ... Now, I think even an old Moto Bug could take him out.”

“Alright, I’ve got a vocal processor hooked up... Activating in 3... 2... 1..” Tails held his breath.

One eye lit up, in a red oval. The turbine sputtered, as it slowly rotated in its casing, making a distinct clicking sound as it scraped against its housing.

_ “ Mission Time: 3370 hours, 13 minutes, 38 se######- “ _

“... Hey there, shell-head.”

_ “Target identified. Sonic Hedgehog. ”  _ His eye twitched a bit.  _ “ Error: Central Turbine critically d###ged. App####ges non-functional.”  
  
_

“Don’t worry, you’re not killing anyone any time soon. The war’s over - Eggman’s gone.”  
  


_ “ . . . Awaiting confirmation of total defeat of target ‘Robotnik’.” _

“He was blown up. Whole fleet came down.”  
  
  
_ “Reviewing information. ... Target ‘Robotnik’ eliminated. Objective 1 accomplished. Current objective: ... Unavailable.” _   
  
Wow. Robotnik had actually become his number-one priority to destroy. Guess he really did have a change of heart. Or, CPU.   


  
“Why’d you go against Eggman, anyways?”

_ “ Target “Robotnik” was deemed to be utilizing excessive force against non-combatants. Destruction of life was deemed unjustifiable. Objectives were re-assigned.” _   


Even the robot knew it was bad. “Well, you’re a free ‘bot now. Eggman’s gone - you can do whatever.”

_ “ . . . Awaiting further objectives.” _

  
“Pal, you can decide your  own objectives. Do what you think is best.”

_ “ Evaluating situation... New objectives identified. One: Restore systems to full operating capacity. Two: Assist in total destruction of Egg hierarchy. Three: Assist in Resistance operations, including dissemination of sensitive files.”  
  
_

Tails looked over his shoulder. “Looks like he actually wants to help out.”  
  
Amy walked over. “Well, we’re working on the first one.. and you can do the other two, if you just stick with us for now!”  
  
_ “Unit will stay in current location. ‘Hedgehog’, ‘Prower’ and ‘Rose’ do not offer substantial threat.” _

“First off.. you can refer to yourself as ‘I’. Second, you don’t have to call us by our last names. Call me ‘Sonic’ - what you call yourself is up to you.”

_ “. . . I will stay in current location.” _

“Getting there.”

_ “ _ _Query: Identification of fourth target.”_   
  
“‘Fourth target’ is Manic, Machine man.”

_ “... ‘Prower’.” _

It was later on that night; the others had gone off, but the fox was still at work in his shop. His progress on Metal was going pretty well.

“.. Yeah?”

_ “ Requesting repositioning, as to improve field of view out of viewport.” _

“Uh... okay!” Tails rotated the frame on its’ wheels, aligning it so that Metal could see the clouds passing by out of a window.

_ “. . . . Thank you.” _

“No problem.”

_‘Thank you?’_ Guess he  _ was _ picking up some manners, after all.


	4. BUILDING BRIDGES

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A temporal guardian faces his toughest challenge.
> 
> Old friends reconnect, and discuss an exciting new project.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This was originally its own separate fic, simply titled ‘128’, but I figured I could merge it into this one.

Eggman Nega. The Ifrit. The Time Eater, Infinite, the racing tournament. These last couple of years had been long, and Silver had his fair share of scars to prove it. But, today was the beginning of the end, for a lot of things.   
  


Today was November 6.

At 1000, New City time, massive bombing campaigns would start worldwide. Robot hit squads would be deployed; new, terrible weapons would be unleashed, on a scale never seen before. Many would die, or be injured, displaced, or separated. Hundreds of cities would be razed to the ground. 

  
This was “the 128”, as historians of his era called it.128 days of endless, ultimate war. Each day would bring new terrors. There would be little sleep, no time for rest. But, at the end of these 128 days, Dr. Ivo “Eggman” Robotnik would be dead. The Egg Wars would be over. And Silver’s tenure as a temporal guardian would reach its finish. He would be free to do, and go, whatever he pleased.

The time traveller had spent a lot of his time mentally fortifying himself for the massive struggle ahead. He would assist in the major battles; lessen casualty rates, maybe. As a protector of the past, it was his sworn duty to assure that this war would be won.

Many  would die, there was no doubt. But, if there was one person Silver could save, he knew exactly who it was. And he planned for it in advance.

He wrote and sealed a letter, sent it through a portal, and shut off the connection.

“Blaze - 

As a temporal guardian, it is my duty to ensure that the events of my world play out in the order they were meant to. Soon, my tenure will come to an end, and I will be free to do as I please - but, not before one last trial. The following is classified to all but me - and, now, you.  
  
Today - November 6, at precisely 1000 hours, New City time, Dr. Eggman will begin an unprecedented terror campaign against the rest of the world. It will be unlike anything seen before. Scholars of my time postulate that he underwent a complete mental breakdown, leading him to seek total world destruction. For the next 128 days, it will be hell on Earth - communities will be shattered, nations destroyed, families torn apart,with many casualties . But, after that, it will end. Eggman will be gone, and this conflict that has gone on for so many years - the Egg Wars - will end.

If I could do anything to stop the destruction that will come, I would. I will help in the upcoming battles, but I am sworn to minimize my intervention. Still, I must make one request of you, personally.

Please, do not return to Earth until after March 22, at exactly 19:44:30 local time. Earth will only be safe after that date. I will be fine, rest assured - but, if Eggman gains access to any of the resources of Sol, it could spell disaster for the timeline.  
  
This is the main reason I write this letter, but there is another reason.

I love you, Blaze, and I‘m sure now that I’ve loved you since we first met. And I feel that, somehow, I loved you before that. You mean the world to me - both worlds - and I couldn’t live if I let any harm come to you. Earth will handle this conflict by itself, and so can I. If there’s anyone I can save during this, I would want it to be you. I know that you trust me as much as I trust you, so I know I can tell you these events - and ask you to stay away.

After March 22 at 19:44:30, it will be safe for you to return to Earth once again. I’ll be waiting here, safe and sound.  


  
I love you.

See you in 128 days. 

Silver”

Off went the package. It seemed like his communicator sounded out an instant afterwards. He’d made his peace. This was it. 

The 128.

[“Silver here, what’s wrong?”]  
  


[“Eggman’s mobilizing a fleet of ships - they’re headed west to Spagonia!”]  
  


[“I’ll go stop them.”]  
  
  


The ships were carrying incendiaries, corrosive chemicals, fragmentation devices - all the weapons Eggman’s twisted mind could come up with. _Time to start counting the days._  
  
  


** 3 **

_ “New casualty reports in-“ _

** 8 **

_ “They’re headed for the hospital!” _

  
** 12 **

_ “-Take it down before it reaches the-“ _

** 14 **

_ “- all the survivors are headed to -“ _

** 23 **

_ “They’re intercepting the refugees!” _

** 24 **

_ “We can’t hold them off much longer!” _

** 28 **

_ “We need evacuations south of-“ _

** 31 **

_ “-set them up alongside the road-“ _

** 33 **

_ “These containers are filled with-“ _

** 35 **

_ “-stay clear of the area to the northeast. It’s contaminated with-“ _

** 42 **

“- landed right in the middle of the square -“

** 51 **

_ “-penetrated the shelter! Get the civilians to-“ _

** 55 **

_ “-distributed in the water supply-“ _

** 59 **

_ “-people getting sicker every day. There’s got to-“ _

** 64 **

_ “-mines along the roads to-“ _

** 68 **

_ “Got the cure working. We need you to fly it to-“ _

** 73 **

_ “-New type of robot, specifically for-“ _

** 78 **

_ “-using  clones  to-“ _

** 91 **

_ “-disguising them as aid-“ _

** 99 **

_ “ Destroy the laser before -“ _

** 103 **

_ “-Metal Sonic took down the fleet-“ _

** 107 **

_ “Omelette’s gone - reports of a large explosion at-” _

** 116 **

_ “-shut down the missiles before they hit-“ _

** 123 **

_ “Almost there!” _

** 125 **

_ “Death Egg, bigger than it’s ever-“ _

** 127 **

_ “He’s planning a final attack. All bases, prepare for-“ _

** 128 **

_ “-Death Egg’s down!” _

** “EGGMAN’S DEAD!”  
  
  
”WE’VE WON!” **

19:44:30. March 22.

He was in New City, or what was left of it, already. His apartment building had been hollowed out weeks before, so he just wandered the streets, in between the joyful masses - tilting and stumbling, barely able to stand up. How he was still moving, he didn’t know; he must have been levitating. The crowd was elated; they screamed, laughed, cheered, sang, and danced in every direction, in between the piles of rubble.

Scars ran vertically across his chest. He’d gone unconscious for a bit after distributing the cure for an artificial virus. He had a bit of a limp, having sprained his leg only a couple of days before. His skin was blistered from chemical attacks, wrapped in crusted bandages slapped on after burns. He’d had a twitch in his right eye that hadn’t gone away for weeks - there might have been something stuck under his eyelid. Or in his head. He had no idea how he was still awake. 

They’d won, like he knew they would. He aimlessly wandered through the celebrating crowds, the cheers and singing warbling in and out of focus. He was a little deaf in one ear from a concussive blast; still, he’d managed to save others from it. 

128 days. He hadn’t slept a full night in 128 days. He hadn’t been fully calm for 128 days. He had been cooked, poisoned, irradiated, slashed, stabbed, snapped, crushed, blown up. Now, he would rest. He could sleep, knowing that his job was done. Centuries from now, he would be born in a world without bombs, without hate or fear, without robot armies. That was his reward - knowing that the world was now at peace.

19:45:18.

  
_ There she was. _ He seemed to just.. freeze up. His knees were ready to give in.

She hadn’t changed a bit. She was untouched.  
  
He just stood there, the raucous party around him muffled. She was okay. He would’ve cried, but he was simply exhausted. He’d cried all he could.

128 days of waiting.   


She had wanted to come at once, stop Eggman in his tracks. But, she and Silver had an unbreakable, intimate trust; they knew that they could anything the other said as the truth. She would ensure that his armada didn’t cross over to Sol, as it had before. So, she sealed off the bridge. He swore that he would be okay. She prayed that he would - every night, she thought about what he was up to. 

She re-opened the connection at the exact time he specified - March 22, 19:44:30. When she stepped out on to Earth, New City was a teeming hollow - windows were shattered and boarded up, buildings were hollowed shells, and massive, excited crowds had gathered in the streets among the mountains and craters. They were singing, dancing, embracing each other. There had been a final war - a massive, all-out last stage of the war that had been continuing for so long - and now, it was over. 128 days.   
  
Turning around, she saw him a hundred feet away, gazing at her like she was a ghost. He was hurt, badly, covered in blisters and half-dressed burns. He just stood there.

Tears welling up, she dashed towards him, licks of flame swirling in the air; he just opened his arms. When she jumped into him, neither of them expected that he would topple over, sending both of them to the pockmarked ground.   


Turns out, they both had some more tears left to cry. Tears of joy, sobs mixed with choked laughter and babbled words, broken up by kisses and that euphoric feeling of holding each other, just seeing the other person alive and intact. They were completely focused on one another; they didn’t notice as the people around them helped them up, hoisting them onto a rubble pile and cheering. 

“Jeez,” someone called out, “look at ‘em - they’re on fire!”  
  
It was true. The two of them were illuminating the crowd around them, a mixture of blue swirls and orange flames surrounding them in an orb. They rose up into the air, like a miniature star. The crowd continued to chant and dance, elated that the war was over. Not just the last months and weeks, but the years of Egg attacks, robot invasions, new threats to the world.  No more separation.

He could go anywhere in time that he wanted now. But, now, he knew  _ exactly _ where he wanted to be... and who he wanted to be with.

“... We’re gonna go talk with some friends. You just stay here and watch Metal, alright?”

“You got it, dude.”

Well, here he was with the robot - who was now just a head, a torso and an arm, propped up in a wheelchair with some equipment on the back. It - sorry, he - looked like an old lady, all the wires sticking out of his head like straggly hair. The weather here in Soleanna was nice and warm, and the salty wind came in from the coast. Just him, Metal, and the view. Well, that, and the curious passersby who noticed the large hovercraft, guarded by the disappeared terrorist robot being pushed around in a wheelchair by a punk rocker. 

The three went off to visit their close friends, who were working on some kind of project near a scientific institution in the downtown area of New City. What they saw when they got there certainly caught their attention: A circular portal, framed in metal and about 30 feet across, that looked directly into a very similar laboratory, staffed with its own team of researchers. Passing around it, both ends went into the other laboratory. Engineers and scientists shuffled through freely, carrying various items and papers between the two worlds. 

“Using the harmonic frequencies between the Sol and Chaos Emeralds as a sort of ‘sync’ signal,” the princess explained while the group walked along, “We’ve created a tachyon-displacing accelerative stabilizer to ‘widen’ the bridge between the two dimensions. In short, we’ve opened a stable portal between Earth and Sol.”  
  
Tails was perked up felly, his ears sticking right up. “ _Fascinating!_ What did the process of isolating the unstable particles look like?”

“Well, first, we used a paraphysical metometer to...”

As the two continued their conversation, Silver and Sonic walked along. “So...  _ consort _ _,_ huh?”

“Yep.” The psychic was beaming, his cheeks blushing a bit. “Now that I’ve fulfilled my duty, I can just... be with her. Speaking of retirement... How are you going?”

If he had been drinking something, Sonic would have spat it out. “ _Retirement? Me?_ No way, man - I’ve got too much to do. Got to keep going; the world  needs me!”

  
“Well, alright. How are things going with... Ms. Rose?”

Not this, again. “I-  _ nothing’s _ going. We’re on a trip, as  friends .”

“ Oh? Friends who space out looking at each other while they eat, or sing, or sleep?”

Now, it was Sonic who was turning red.

“That applies to both of you, you know.”  
  
”Whatever. Like I said, the Earth needs me. I’ve got to be at my toes, at all times.”

“But, why? Eggman’s gone, and-“

_ “There’s still going to be  something!”  _ He was shouting, without realizing.  “ There’s  _ always _ gonna be. ... You know?”

_ Okay _ _,_ thought Silver,  _ time to stop prodding _ _._ Researching before he’d gone back, he’d read Sonic’s memoir. Things would move along naturally, and nothing else major was expected to pop up. Besides the spaghetti monster, but that was about 127 years from now. 

“Well, I suppose.” 

He wished he could have told the famous figure it’d be alright, but he had to be selective about what information on future events he revealed. It might not be a good idea to prod him, either - things would fall into place. It was inevitable - after all, if he  didn’t end up saying how he felt, then they’d never end up together, and Silver would have no great-great-great-great-great-great grandparents. Yes, he was related - that had been a little conflict of interest at first, and it was strange watching their relationship develop. Still, he’d made it this far. The gift of far-off hindsight could make one antsy to push things along, but it saved a lot of anxiety about how things  would turn out.

“.. Anyways, congratulations on the engagement.”

“You too- I mean, thanks.”

_ Oh crap, did he figure it out? ... No? ...  _

He took it the other way? Okay, _Phew._

The trio casually approached the ship. “How’d things end up with you two?”

“Fine. It’s a little hard to play paper football when your opponent keeps shifting the goalposts faster than you can see, though...”

_ “It is an effective defensive strategy.” _

“It’s  _ cheating _ _,_ is what it is!”  
  
  
They continued to argue, as the ship lifted off.

The dream, again. Stormclouds. Crying. Alarms. 

Hitting the rocks, just as he woke up.


	5. RIPTIDE

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> On a seemingly clear day, Sonic decides to face his fears - and gets swept up.

It was a nice, sunny day on the Emerald Coast - for the most part, since some foreboding clouds seemed to hover at a distance. For now, it was time to enjoy some fun in the sun. The four-and-a-half headed out on to the beach, taking in the sunshine and the surf. 

The dreams had kept up the whole trip. Sonic had been getting less and less sleep - every time, he woke up with a start, feeling like he had  just missed something important. Something vital. Something he was looking for. For now, it was time to tackle something else. A fear, one that had been nagging him for a while. One, to be precise, of water. Well, it wasn’t  all bodies of water, since he’d been bouncing through tunnels and chemical plants since he was a kid. It was just the ocean. It was... massive. You could look out over it, and see nothing but water. Just water, and nothing else. ... But, it was okay. He wouldn’t get swept out, the waves were calm. 

_ Okay. Baby steps. _

The water went up to his clawed toes. This was fine. As he inched further and further in, one foot after the other, it started to get his ankles wet. This was alright, too. Now, he was up to his knees. The waves pushed and pulled a little, but it was nowhere near strong enough to knock him over. Leaning over, he felt down at the stirred-up sand under the water. Then, he sat down, his legs facing out into the ocean. He was.. he was in it. It was alright.

Big figures .  Alarms.

_ No. _ This was fine. There wasn’t any problem; it was just him, and the waves, and... the storm.  
  
  


The rain seemed to come out of nowhere, as the tide was whipped up by the strong winds. As the heavy droplets smacked into his face, Sonic was... he was tearing up. He couldn’t see straight.

“Aww, bummer! We can towel off inside the ship. ... Sonic? You good?”

_ Beach, waves, storm, yelling, alarms, swept away ,  drowning. Drowning, hitting the rocks, burning. Pain. _

With a crack of thunder, he was gone - and a trail of sand was settling out of the air, all the way back to the ship.

“... Sonic?”

The door was wedged shut. Amy made sure to wait at least an hour before she went in. Whatever had happened - whatever Sonic had heard, or seen - it had really freaked him out. He was just standing there, tapping his foot and looking out the window at the heavy rain. 

“Sonic ... Do you want to talk?”

“No, I-I shouldn’t be focused on it- on this. I shouldn’t be out here - I should be back at the base, working. There’s things to do - there’s... people that need me.”

“Sonic, you  need to take a break. You don’t have to look over everything in the world. For now, you can just let it be-”

_ “I CAN’T TAKE A BREAK!_ _”_ , he roared. _ “I  ** CAN’T ** JUST LET IT BE!” _

She stepped back a bit, in shock.

“If I was just gonna ‘let it be’, the world would  _ collapse _ _!_ You remember what happened with Infinite - Eggman had half the world under his control in months! I  _ have _ to be there, because if I’m not there, then everything I know - everyone I  love \- is going to be hurt, and I  _ can’t let that happen _ _._ I  have to be fast enough to be everywhere. I’m Sonic the Hedgehog - that’s  who I am. I have to keep up to that standard. There’s _always_ a bomb about to go off somewhere, or a flood of corrosive acid, or a robot attack. I don’t have  time for myself. There’s no time to say what I want to say - or what I feel -  _ whatever !” _

  
The tears were coming down his face freely, now. His voice cracked as he talked.  
  
  
“I just have to keep  running , because if I don’t, then you, and Tails, and everyone else will  _ die.  _ From the bombs, or- or- or the ambushes, or the.. the gas attacks. There’s _always_ that, there’s _always_ the danger, and I have to be there, or else it’ll all come crashing down. It’ll all be destroyed, and then I’ll just be...”

He sobbed.

“I’ll just be alone... “ He croaked out.  
  


“Drowning.”

He keeled over on the floor, taking in raspy, shuddering breaths as he shed tears. His friend stood there for a second. Then, after a couple seconds... she dropped down next to him. Holding him. She was crying, too. 

“Sonic... it’s okay. You can...” She sniffed. “You don’t have to do everything. You can slow down. We’ll be alright.”  
  
He just cried, for a little while longer, quietly. _“How do I_ _ know that?” _

“Because.. we can look after ourselves. And we can look after  _ you, _ Sonic. You’re not alone. We can help you. You have the Resistance, you have Tails, and you have your friends...”

She put a hand on his cheek.

“And you have  me.”  She gulped, her throat swelling up. “I’ll be there for you. I always will.”  
  
  
He just looked into her eyes, his face wet from rain and tears. She was crying almost as much as he was, now. Laid bare, they were completely open. Raw and exposed to the elements. In an emotional trance, their hearts overlapped.

The blue hedgehog embraced the pink, sobbing. She held him, gently stroking his back.He’d been keeping all this from them. Not for days, or weeks.. but  _ years _ _._ Since they had first met. They were all just kids when this started, and in some ways, they still were; they weren’t meant to have the weight of the world on them. They’d struggled with it, but Sonic had always just ‘kept his cool’. He hadn’t been cool; he’d been running from it. And, now that the bombs had stopped falling, and the ‘bots had stopped attacking, and the cities had stopped burning... he had finally let it all catch up with him. It was suffocating him.

He’d had the eyes of the world on him, and he’d been worshipped by millions like he was a god. Living up to the idea of Sonic the Hedgehog - the one in people’s minds - had been killing him. But, now, in the sealed-off bunk room of a red shuttlecraft, parked on a beach, he could be afraid. He could be a child, lost and frightened, never knowing when the next blast or attack was going to come. Never knowing if he’d be fast enough.

They must have been in there for hours, as the thunder rumbled right outside the hull. Out of the window, it was grey, speckled by black drops and flashes of white. Eventually, they were just leaning up against the wall, holding hands.

Sonic leaned his head back, looking over with his eyes closed. He took in a deep breath.

“... What now?”

“Now?” Amy looked off a thousand yards. “Now...” She looked over at him, and smiled.

“Now, there’s no fighting. No war. You can be  _ you,  _ Sonic. Say what you want to say. We’ll be there for you, always.”

Say what he wanted to say.

What _did_ he want to say?  
  
 _  
... Right._

He looked into her eyes, gulping. “... Amy.. I love you.”

She grinned, tearing up a bit. “... I know.”  
  


  
She leaned her head on his shoulder, crying a bit in joy. He leaned into her, as well. The rain kept pouring; the waves were crashing. But that was alright. They were together, holding hands, their breaths slowly syncing up.

  
If Amy, when she was just a young girl, could have been here, she’d be squealing.

  
After a while, the two walked out to find Manic, Tails and Metal playing a card game. Sonic rubbed the back of his head. “Shame about the weather..”

Manic leaned back. “Ehh, this beach is pretty average. Back on Christmas Island, the weather’s nice all the time.”

“Oh, yeah?”

“Yep. People are nicer, too. Best place a guy could ask to grow up. Speaking of, my mom and my sis are probably worried sick about me. I think I’m about ready to get dropped off - what do you guys think?”

Amy and Tails nodded.

Sonic was zoned out, again, staring forward.

_ Christmas Island.  
  
_

_ Christmas Island. _

_ He needed to go to Christmas Island. _

The figures got a little clearer, in his head.  
  
  


“Sonic! You alright?”

  
  
“ ..We need to go to Christmas Island.”


	6. KNOTHOLE

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Looking for something close to him, Sonic heads to a quiet coastal town.

Situated shortly off the mainland coast, Christmas Island is about half the size of South Island, with a third of the population. First settled thousands of years ago, the independent nation has its own rich history and unique culture. Thick forests and sharp hills mix in with jungle, and the largest cities prod out at river’s mouths and lake junctions. South of the largest city, through the forest and along the coastline for about an hour, is the town of Knothole.

Knothole is a close-knit community of several thousand, founded centuries ago during the rule of the Acorn monarchy. Some of the descendants of the long-gone royal family still reside in the area. With the maturation of the war into its massive final stages, many of the young people in the village had departed to do their part. Some never came back. 

Besides the Island livery, Knothole is an average, quiet town like any other. It had a main street, lined with various boutiques and cozy nooks; a local school, where generations of students have spent long days of learning; and a lovely park downtown, great for baseball games or the odd picnic, with a memorial in honor of the local ‘Freedom Fighters’. Not much happens, out of the ordinary.

So, when Sonic the Hedgehog, Amy Rose, and Tails Prower - world-famous Resistance leaders, fresh off their ultimate victory - arrived to drop off one of Knothole’s native sons, it certainly stirred up some talk. 

Sonic was  _ very _ interested in Knothole, for some reason unclear to his friends. As Manic guided the trio around, something grew and grew in his head, pinging like an alarm until it hurt. He was getting warmer to something. Dozens of people stopped him along the way - and he made sure to shake each and every one of their hands.

Eventually, the green hedgehog led them to a spot where the local youth hung around - a diner named ‘Muttski’s’, after the owner’s old friend. Manic’s uncle ran the place - milkshakes and karaoke every Friday night. It was very... homey.

“Hey, guys,” Maniac boasted as he walked in. “Look who I brought back with me!”

Various shouts of relief and welcome dropped into gasps and loose-hanging jaws.

_ Sonic the Hedgehog!?  In  Knothole? Amy Rose and Tails, too!? _

The blue speedster smiled and waved. “Hiya!”

The locals shut their jaws, then glanced to each other. _What should they say?_

“Right, right. Some of these guys just moved here after the war, actually.” The green punk led his friend along. “These five were buddies. Here’s Rotor - real tech wiz!”

A tall, squarely built purple walrus stood behind the counter in a baseball cap. “Uh.. Nice to meet you, Mr. Hedgehog.”  
  
  
Sonic shook his hand. “Ah, Sonic is fine.”

“Here’s the honeymooners, the D’Coolettes - Antoine and Bunnie, just moved here. Watch out - Antoine can get a little spooked.”

A coyote with carefully-combed hair and a rabbit girl leaned against the counter. The coyote was wearing a neat blue shirt; under a leather jacket, The rabbit had both legs and one arm replaced with some type of prostheses. 

Antoine side-eyed Manic, as he shook Sonic’s hand. “A pleasure, Mr. Hedgehog,” he spoke, in a moderate accent. Bunnie kept looking him up and down. “Huh. Yer’ shorter than ya look on TV.” She seized his hand and shook it firmly, yanking it up and down.

“And here’s Sally. Her family goes back a while, around here. Oh, yeah - and her girlfriend, just moved in! You know, they met serving together in the Resistance.”

A chipmunk in a blue jacket and boots sat on the high stools by the counter, with a lynx in a purple sweater. “Sonic in the flesh, huh?” She smiled, shaking his hand. Soon, her eyebrows rose flatly. “..Commander Rose?”  
  
Amy perked up, her eyes focusing in a bit. “Acorn!? Of all the places for you toshow up...” She shook Sally’s hand, as well. “And Ellidy, too!” She leaned over to Sonic. “These two worked under me at Alpha Base. .. Special operations.”

“Really? Well, it’s a given to say ‘Thank you’ to each and every one of you - every hand counted.”

“... And then, I beat him  _ and  _ the robot at a game of Una!”  
  
Manic was regaling his friends with another story, as his three new pals sat by. Suddenly, another figure burst in the door - a purplish-pink hedgehog in a sundress, looking a bit irritated.

“Manic!? When did you get back? Mom and I have been worried sick about...”

She trailed off, as her eyes darted to Manic, then to Sonic. Then back to Manic, then back to Sonic - then, at both of them. Then, at Sonic again.

“ .. you ...”

Sonic was zoning out, again. 

She had been at the beach, too. So was...

...

It rarely got brought up, if ever, but the Hedgehog kids who lived just northeast of the town center were once a trio, instead of a duo. They’d grieved, but the Hedgehogs, and those close to them, had moved on.

Now, Sonic was marching along the road, following blank-eyed like a soldier. There were three people at the beach. Someone pink, someone green, and someone purple. He knew the pink and the green - he could see their faces clearly. The green one sat on the sand, padding at the ground with a plastic shovel; the pink one waddled around in the water .  The purple one was laying on a towel. 

As the five headed down the road, a lofty, white-shuttered house came into view. On the porch stood a middle-aged woman, purple fur, in a shirt and loose pants. When they stepped up into the driveway, she froze - and so did Sonic.

_Everything_ came rushing back.

Like a clockwork toy, the blue hedgehog walked up the stairs in measured steps. Now, he stood above the woman by an inch or two. Time slowed to a stop, as she slowly raised a shaking hand to his face.

They were both silently crying. Neither of them could control themselves enough to get a word out. Trembling, he reached out and embraced her.

_ Mom. _

_ Nicky. _

It had been a clear day, for the most part, and the temperature was perfect for some fun in the sun. Bernie had brought her kids out to the beach, to let them have some fun in the sun. And, boy, were they enjoying it. Manny, or ‘Manic’, as she called him, was sitting in the dry part, smacking at the sand around him and piling it up in little hills; Nicky was picking at the seashells, walking along; and Sonia was splashing in the shallow part of the water. The clouds on the edge of the sky were looking a little suspicious, but it would take hours for them to come in.

So she thought.

In just a couple of minutes, the sky darkened, and the surf churned against the sands. It was a storm - a nasty one, setting off a severe weather warning. In a panic, she ran over, scooping up Sonia and Manic.

Then, she turned around. Nicky was standing there, frozen, staring out at a huge wave approaching him. Nicky was... he was in the waves... 

Nicky got sucked in. Nicky got carried away.

** “ NICKY!” **

Nicky was gone.

The kid was bleeding from his head - he’d hit the rocks face-first, and it had knocked im out. If he hadn’t picked ‘em up, they might have drowned there. Soon, the boy stirred awake, looking doe-eyed up at him.

“You alright, son?”

The boy, a hedgehog, darted his head around.   
  
“... What’s your name?”

“S-..” He stuttered, in a high squeak. “Soni... -nic...”

“... Sonic?”  
  
Oh, jeez, the kid had started tearing up. “Calm down, son, it’s-“  
  
_ WOOSH! _

The kid had ran off in a blur - like a bolt of lightning.

... He could see why he was named Sonic.

Nicholas Maurice Hedgehog, son of Bernadette ‘Bernie’ Aleena Hedgehog, brother of Sonia and ‘Manic’, had been swept away by a freak storm at the age of 3. His body was never recovered - now, a sand-worn headstone sat on the edge of the beach, surrounded by a ring of smoothed rocks. But, somehow, some way, the waters had carried the child hundreds of miles across the ocean - to the shores of South Island, where he arrived alive, but stripped of his memories. Now, after 18 years... he was back. Nicky was back, and he was grown up, and healthy, and... he’d saved the world.

  
After minutes on quiet minutes, the others had quietly shifted closer. Opening his eyes, Sonic.. or, Nicky... pushed back a bit, motioning to his companions. “.. This is my brother, Tails.. and my girlfriend, Amy.”  
  


Bernie looked over, wiping her eyes and nodding. “I’ve seen you two in the news, before. ..Why don’t we.. head inside?”  
  
  


Slowly, steadily, the five of them headed through the door. There was a lot to catch up on.


	7. FOR THE RECORD

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sonic decides to certify his title as the “Fastest Thing Alive”. He gets a bit more than he bargained for.

It’d been a couple of months, and Sonic had finally made the decision: he should retire. At least, temporarily; if he was needed, he’d be quick to join back in. For now, though, he was working on a long backlist. Splitting his time between South Island and Knothole, the hedgehog had finally started on his memoir. There was no rush, though - whatever he wrote, it’d probably be a bestseller. Next on the list was something else he’d been waiting to try, for a while. He knew that his speed could hit at least 3,000 miles an hour, in a good mood. So, he ought to settle it - he would mark his record, and earn his official title as the ‘fastest thing alive’.

They flew out to a wide range of salt flats, in the western United Federation. Tails decked him with a full suit of equipment, to reduce friction and make sure he could slow down.

After taking his time to stretch, he was ready. His mind had been lifted of a great weight; now, he could say and do whatever he wanted, and he was his focusing on his own needs. He had a net of people to go to; he wasn’t alone.

The hedgehog knelt down, into his starting position. He waited for the countdown, pulling his goggles down over his eyes.   
  


_ [“Alright. Sensors are calibrated. Starting in 3...”] _

Get ready.

_ [“2...”] _

He was _born_ ready.

_ [“1...”] _

  
_  
Go. _

In an instant, a shockwave echoed like a thunderclap across the vast waste, engulfing the little camp at the start point.

_ [“1000 miles per hour! ... 1200 ... 1500...”] _

He was cruising along, now. Time to put down the pedal.

_ [“2000! ... 2500! 3000!”]  
  
  
_

_ Push it a little farther .  
  
  
_

In another moment, he sped forward even further; he was just a blue blur on the horizon.

_ [“6,000... 7.... 8... 9...”] _

The few exposed parts of his skin were being whipped by the wind - every little grain of sand, every salt particle, felt like a bullet. It was like he was picking up static electricity. 

_ Little more.  
  
_

_ [10,000! .... 11,000!] _

Everything was blurring together. The flats, the sky, the clouds... Jeez, he  was picking up electricity! He could see little blue bolts of lightning, hopping about around him like a protective shell. 

_ Liiiittle more... _

_ [“12,000! Holy-!”] _

He was putting out so much lightning, he could probably power a city. This was a bit weird. Still, he focused.

_ About to hit the max point. You’ll have to decelerate after this. _

_ One last boost. Here goes nothing... _

A burst of lightning, blinding him. Somehow, it felt like he had come to a stop.

_ [“ WOO! Nice one, Sonic! Time to enter the deceleration stage.”] _

_ [ “...  Sonic? Sonic, do you copy? ”] _

There was no color anywhere in the landscape; just various shades of grey, melding into great shapes. The clouds blew through the sky in seconds; There was no sun, but the sky was still bright. Empty houses and buildings sat about, without a single sign of life. Not even insects.

Gradually, he noticed a figure on a hill. Heading over, he narrowed his eyes.

It  _ couldn’t _ be.  
  
  


... It  _ was . _

Slowly, he approached the man from behind. He wore a faded jumpsuit, and his long mustache drooped underneath round glasses. The figure looked back at the hedgehog, blinked, and returned to the vista.  
  


Eggman sighed, keeping his gaze off to the distance as Sonic approached.

“Of course. Nearing the end of my time here... you, of all people, would show up.”  
  
  


He kept silent.

“... I’ve been here for months. No one else is here, but I see people, still.” Another sigh. “They never say anything; They just stare. I believe this is.. a limbo, some kind of purgatory. Maybe the “good” parts of my consciousness will be separated from the “bad” parts, and they’ll go their respective ways. Whatever becomes of me, I understand why.”

Sonic just kept looking over the horizon.

“... It was mental degeneration, you know. The Robotnik family has had a history of it, back for generations.It’s the price we pay for our intellect. ... Would you believe that?”

No response.

“I was too concerned with my ‘occupation’ to fully grasp its severity. I wasn’t in control - if I had been, I wouldn’t have done...  any of it. It was a nightmare that I couldn’t wake up from.”

Disbelief crept over his mind. _What did he mean?_ Had the  real Eggman - old Ivo - lost his grip? He looked over. 

“When did it start?”

“... It started after Dark Gaia. I convinced myself I could keep it under wraps. I started losing control after Infinite disappeared.. by the time I started my ‘campaign’, I was just a spectator in my own mind - watching as I turned the world into ashes.”

This was hard to swallow. If Ivo hadn’t been in control of his own body - of his own person - then the transition must have been too quiet for anyone to notice. He had slipped into the deep end. It was twisted feeling - the idea that something else had been responsible. A mixture of disbelief and guilt. 

“I’m willing to bear whatever judgement comes next. I can tell my time here is finishing soon, and what I did could  never be justified. Maybe, for whatever reason, some part of me might be spared. Maybe I might just... fade away. But, if I could request one thing, make one last change...”

The doctor looked down at his long-time enemy.

“After all this, please.. please, try to forgive me.”

He shouldn’t. He’d done so much, hurt so many. But, he wasn’t evil at heart - he’d just been taken away. He could have done so much good.

“.. You’re alright, Ivo.”

Eggman adjusted his glasses.

“You were the greatest man I ever knew, Sonic. I hope your life is long, and happy, and.. peaceful. Maybe some day, somewhere, we’ll meet again.”

He looked back over the horizon. A crooked smile grew over his face. 

“Then.. I can say I finally beat you somewhere.”

Sonic looked back, over the dim valley. As the clouds swept by, he wiped his eyes. 

Everything slowly faded back into white.

_ [“SONIC! You’ve got to slow down!”] _

Things were blending together again.  _ Time to hit the chutes.   
  
  
_

With a pulling of a cord, he decelerated in bursts, as a chain of parachutes deployed. Sliding on padded knees, he came to a stop over hundreds of feet.

“... What’d I get?”

_ [“20... 22,436.5 miles per hour!”] _

_... Not bad. _


	8. CHERRY ON TOP

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> While one chapter ends, another is just beginning.

It was a rainy day, and the folks on Main Street ducked in-and-out of storefronts and under umbrellas, trying not to get wet. Some of them stopped into Muttski’s, to grab a bite or just lounge around. And, when they stopped in this morning, a lot of them said the same thing.

“Is that..  _ Sonic the Hedgehog_ _?”_  
  
To which the walrus at the counter would reply:  
  
”Yep. He’s busy working, though - try not to bother him.”  
  
  
Indeed, he  was doing some work - working to catch up with the family he’d been separated from most of his life, and working on the beginnings of an autobiography. Everyone had a story to tell, from the events of the past few years; the world was eager to hear his side more than anyone else. So, he sat in the cushy booth, typing away at a holo-tablet and greeting any curious folks who came up to him. 

He never thought he would be this comfortable, coming back into the life he came from. Reunited, the Hedgehog triplets hit it off almost naturally, like they’d been together this whole time. It took some time to catch up all the way, but now that he’d found his family, he wasn’t going to be pulled away again. 

“How’s taking it slow going?”  
  
He looked up, to the pink hedgehog sliding in next to him. “Actually? A lot more fun, than I figured it would be. Going back in my head, looking over all I’ve done.. it’s been a rush.”  
  
She smiled. “Well, seems like it’s just beginning, huh?” She took his hand up in hers. Smiling, he squeezed back.

“New chapter.. for the both of us.”  
  
As Amy leaned her head on his shoulder, he planted a quick kiss on her forehead. Then, making sure she was comfortable, he looked back to his work.

_  
Blue Blur: My Life in the Fast Lane. _ By Sonic M. Hedgehog.

.. Ah, he could take a break. He had all the time in the world, and there was plenty to do, step-by-step.

As the rain descended on the window, the two leaned together in the booth, knowing that all was good.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And with that, the Sonic fic that I first came up with the concept for a whole month and a half ago is published. Thank you so much for reading! I’m working on new projects as well, and they’ll be coming out (somewhat) soon.
> 
> \- star


End file.
